The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, and an image forming method for reading an image on an original and forming an image.
In a conventional image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, when a punching process is to be performed at the time of printing, the punching process is performed on the basis of initial operation settings, or by effecting settings for the punching process at the time of printing.
Tab sheets, however, are classified into already punched tab sheets and to-be-punched tab sheets.
In the prior art, the setting of the punching process for tab sheets is one of the following: the user sets the punching process every time immediately before the printing; the punching process is always performed based on fixed settings; or the initial system settings are changed according to the attributes of tab sheets.
Thus, the user has to perform printing by always paying attention to the punching process for tab sheets. Each time the user uses tab sheets which requires a different punching process than the already set one, time-consuming settings have to be performed once again, and the operability for the user deteriorates.
The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of reducing the load on the user in setting a tab sheet punching process and enhancing the operability in the setting.
In order to achieve the object, there is provided an image forming apparatus which has a plurality of sheet feed sections for feeding paper sheets, and forms an image on a paper sheet fed from any one of the sheet feed sections, the apparatus comprising: a punching process section which form punch holes in the paper sheet on which the image has been formed; a first setting section which sets the kind of paper sheets stored in each of the sheet feed sections; a second setting section which sets the presence/absence of a punching process of forming punch holes in the paper sheet fed from the sheet feed section, when the kind of paper sheets has been set by the first setting section; a storage section which stores information on the kind of paper sheets stored in the sheet feed section, which has been set by the first setting section, and presence/absence information of the punching process associated with the sheet feed section, which has been set by the second setting section; a designation section which designates the kind of paper sheets, or sheet feeding from any one of the sheet feed sections; and a control section which controls, when start of image formation has been instructed, the punching process section in accordance with the presence/absence information of the punching process stored in the storage section in association with the sheet feed section that stores the paper sheet of the kind designated by the designation section, or the sheet feed section that has been designated by the designation section.
There is also provided an image forming method for an image forming apparatus which has a plurality of sheet feed sections for feeding paper sheets, and forms an image on a paper sheet fed from any one of the sheet feed sections, the method comprising: setting, in initial operational settings of the image forming apparatus, the presence/absence of a first tab sheet punching process of forming punch holes in a tab sheet fed from the sheet feed section; setting the kind of paper sheets stored in each of the sheet feed sections, and setting the presence/absence of a second punching process of forming punch holes in the paper sheet fed from the sheet feed section; setting the presence/absence of a third tab sheet punching process of forming punch holes in the tab sheet, when the tab sheet is fed from any one of the sheet feed sections for formation of an image thereon; storing the set presence/absence information of the first tab sheet punching process, the set presence/absence information of the second punching process associated with the sheet feed section, and the set presence/absence information of the third tab sheet punching process; effecting a control, when start of image formation has been instructed to feed a tab sheet from one of the sheet feed sections and to form an image on the tab sheet, to execute the process to form punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the third tab sheet punching process is xe2x80x9ctab sheet punching process is presentxe2x80x9d, and to prohibit the formation of punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the third tab sheet punching process is xe2x80x9ctab sheet punching process is absentxe2x80x9d; effecting a control, when the presence/absence information of the third tab sheet punching process is xe2x80x9ctab sheet punching process is absentxe2x80x9d, to form punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the second punching process is xe2x80x9cpunching process is presentxe2x80x9d, and to prohibit the formation of punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the second punching process is xe2x80x9cpunching process is absentxe2x80x9d; and effecting a control, when the presence/absence information of the second punching process is xe2x80x9cpunching process is absent,xe2x80x9d to form punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the first tab sheet punching process is xe2x80x9ctab sheet punching process is presentxe2x80x9d, and to prohibit the formation of punch holes when the stored presence/absence information of the first tab sheet punching process is xe2x80x9ctab sheet punching process is absentxe2x80x9d.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.